Hollande welcomes appointment of Brazilian Azevedo as WTO new head

PARIS, May 8 (Xinhua) -- French President Francois Hollande congratulated Brazilian Roberto Azevedo for his appointment as new Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), said a Elysee Palace statement on Wednesday.

"The Head of State hails the outcome and welcomes that the WTO will, for the first time, be led by a director from a Latin American country and with which France develops partnerships in all areas," the presidency said in the statement.

Hollande expressed his best wishes towards Azevedo for fulfilling important responsibilities entrusted.

"His first task will be to prepare for the next ministerial conference of the WTO which will take place from 3 to 6 December in Bali, that will mark a revival of trade multilateralism," said Hollande.

The French head of state also paid tribute to outgoing Director General Pascal Lamy "for all the work he has done in eight years as the head of the WTO."

Azevedo, a 55-year-old Brazilian ambassador to the WTO, was appointed as the next Director General of the WTO to replace France's Lamy who is to step down in August after having held two consecutive terms in the job.